About the High School Huddle

Welcome to the Citizen-Times' constantly-updated blog for Western North Carolina high school sports. Features include breaking news, scores and stats, college recruiting updates and live blogs from some of the marquee games in WNC. Readers are encouraged to comment on posts, but personal attacks on current athletes, coaches and their families will not be tolerated and are subject to edit or removal at the moderator's discretion.

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — The Associated Press state high school football poll for the week of October 8, first-place votes in parentheses, records and total points as voted upon by a statewide panel of prep sports writers:

Erwin volleyball player Lauren Davis is the Citizen-Times/Western North Carolina Fall Sports Athlete of the Week.

Davis, who is a junior, put up a pair of triple-doubles for the Warriors (10-10, 4-5) in 3-2 Mountain Athletic Conference wins over McDowell and Roberson.

David had 32 assists, 14 digs and 10 kills on Tuesday in a five-set match in Marion. Two days later, she recorded 52 assists, 11 kills and 11 digs as the Warriors fought past MAC 4-A leader Roberson.

Nominations for the WNC Fall Athlete of the Week will be taken each weekend for boys or girls athletes in cross country, field hockey, golf, soccer, tennis and volleyball. Readers may nominate athletes in any of those sports by sending an e-mail to apearson@citizen-times.com with the athlete’s name, grade level and stats.

Roberson did pretty much anything it pleased in last year’s football game with North Buncombe.

But that was last year.

Looking at film, Rams coach Jim Beatty doesn’t see a Black Hawks team that in any way resembles the one the Rams beat 56-9 in 2012.

Coming off a bye week, Roberson (3-3, 1-0) will try to remain unbeaten in the Mountain Athletic Conference on Friday at North Buncombe (3-4, 1-1).

“They are much improved from a year ago. (North Buncombe coach Curtis Cagle) and his staff have done a really good job over there,” Beatty said.

“He is getting them to play hard and they are coming off a big win over McDowell last week (28-27 in Marion). They do a good job, mixing the run and the pass. It’s going to be a challenge. They’re not on the bottom of the MAC anymore. They are playing like they want to get out of the cellar and this is a serious game.”

The Rams and Reggie Pinner (1,730 yards and 21 touchdowns with five interceptions) last played on Sept. 27. They beat McDowell, 49-28, that night in Skyland.

Pinner is on pace for the one of the best seasons in school history with a receiving corps that includes Alex Talley (32 receptions for 438 yards and two touchdowns), Zach Dollinger (30 receptions for 480 yards and eight touchdowns), Marcus Jenkins (28 receptions for 492 yards and eight touchdowns) and Ben Warren (18 receptions for 181 yards and two touchdowns.

“We didn’t do anything outrageous. We had three good practices and got some kids healed up. We’ll know later today exactly how many we have back (for Friday). It was good productive week where we got to fix some things.”

Roberson has won 12 of its last 13 games versus North Buncombe with the lone loss coming in 2008 (29-20 in Weaverville).

A quick glance at the Mountain Athletic Conference standings show Erwin (6-0) at the top as the only 2-0 football team in the league.

And McDowell (2-5) sits at the very bottom at 0-2.

But remember, it was the Titans who overpowered an injury-plagued Warriors team last year in Marion, 42-28. Running back Kelman Simpson (strained medial collateral ligament) was among the Erwin players who did dress out that night.

It turned out to be the most lopsided loss of the season for the Warriors, who went on claim a share of the MAC 3-A championship and will be at home for Friday’s 7:30 p.m. rematch.

“There’s not a doubt in anybody’s mind around here that McDowell can beat us,” Erwin coach Mike Sexton said.

“Our kids will go out there Friday saying that this is the best team we’ve seen so far. They are fundamentally-sound in every respect. We’re going to have to make them punt to get the ball because they can grind it out.”

Erwin is putting up a Western North Carolina-best 52.3 points poer game, and actually hurt that average with last Friday’s 42-17 win at Enka.

Austin Brown became the area’s passing leader (1,835 yards) as the senior threw for 372 yards and four touchdowns while rushing for a fifth score. Simpson led the way with 115 receiving yards and pair of touchdown catches. Chavis Williams (24) and Jordan Tigar (8) snagged one apiece. Jonathan Allen added 97 receiving yards.

Sexton said that a repeat of the 62-point half that the Warriors had the week before against Reynolds was probably unrealistic.

“Our kids went out there and took care of business. That’s probably the best way to put it,” Sexton said.

“I’m not sure there are many teams out there who could play at that level two weeks in a row. Enka had something to do with what. We didn’t play good in some spots, but we didn’t play awful. Our expectations are pretty high, but you have to temper that.”